Richard Thomas and Kristen Connolly Will Head Cast of Othello in Old Globe's Summer Season

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21 Mar 2014

Emmy Award winner Richard Thomas and Kristen Connolly will star as Iago and Desdemona, respectively, in Othello at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre.

Helmed by Old Globe artistic director Barry Edelstein, making his outdoor directorial debut in the Globe's Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, performances begin June 22 prior to an official opening June 28. The production will continue through July 27.

The production marks a continued collaboration with Edelstein that began in New York: Thomas starred in Edelstein's production of Timon of Athens at The Public Theater in 2011, and Connolly performed in three Shakespeare plays that Edelstein helped produce at The Public.

Thomas has performed onstage in An Enemy of the People and Race, and he has appeared on TV in "The Americans" and "The Waltons." His film work includes "The Wonder Boys" and "Taking Woodstock."

"House of Cards" star Connolly has appeared Off-Broadway in King Lear and the 2011 Shakespeare in the Park productions of All's Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure. Her film work includes "Revolutionary Road" and "The Cabin in the Woods."

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Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Here's how the production is billed: "Despite the prejudices in Venice, the brilliant general Othello excels both on the battlefield and in the halls of state. But when he marries Desdemona, his envious lieutenant Iago sets in motion a diabolical plan to destroy him. Edelstein gives us a riveting, intense, and intimate production where poetry soars and swords clash, where true love and wrenching jealousy collide."

"Shakespeare's plays demand actors with superb technical skills, deep emotional range, and great charisma," Edelstein said in a statement. "Richard Thomas and Kristen Connolly have all three qualities in abundance. Audiences who know Richard from his iconic role in 'The Waltons' may not be aware that he is one of our country's great stage actors with a long career in Shakespeare. He and I had a great time working on Shakespeare in 2011, and I'm thrilled to collaborate with him on what is perhaps the greatest villain in the Bard's canon. Kristen is one of the most promising classical actresses of her generation whose imaginative response to Shakespeare's ingénues dazzled audiences in New York. I know that The Old Globe's audiences will love getting to know her, and I can't wait to welcome her to San Diego."

Tickets to the Globe's 2014 Summer Season are currently available by subscription only. Subscription packages may be purchased online at TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE, or by visiting the box office.